The Very Large Array is an astronomical observatory. With this instrument, astronomers can study cosmic objects such as the sun, planets and galaxies by analyzing the radio waves that are emitted by these objects. The first antenna was put in place in September of 1975 and the complex was inaugurated in 1980. This telescope array is located about 50 miles west of Socorro, NM.
The VLA consists of 27 dish-shaped antennas placed in a Y formation that are connected together to form a single large radio telescope. Each antenna is 10 stories high. The VLA can make detailed pictures of extremely faint objects in the sky.
The VLA is one of the most powerful ground based telescopes. Observations are made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A lot of the information that we saw at the visitor center and read about in brochures is above our heads. It is, however, very fascinating to know what astronomers are able to learn from these telescopes. Think of black holes, new stars, the Milky Way - all of which produce radio waves that are studied with these telescopes.
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